The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-13


Renan's History OF tho People OF Israel
M. ERNEST RRNAN has just published the
first volume OF the long promised History of the
People of Israel Il VOL, Calmann Levyl With
out further preamble let ue talk together about
this most fascinating book. beginning at the
beginning with the preface. For the philo-
sophie mind, says NJ. Keenan, there are in the
past of humanity only three histories OF first
class interest-the history OF Greece. OF Israel,
and of Rome. which three histories combined
constitute the history OF civilization. In this
work OF civilization NJ, Renan attributes the
highest role to Greece, which founded In tho
full meaning Of the term, rational and pro-
gressive humanism. Our science, our art,
our literature, our philosophy, our morality,
our politics. our strategy. our diplomacy. our
maritime and international law, arc Greek in
ORIGIN. The framework of human culture
created by Greece is susceptible of being in
definitely enlarged: but It is complete in it's
parts. Progress will eternally consist in do
velopinG what Greece conceived"
In the circle OF her intellectua, and mor,I
activity Greece had but one gan and that gan
was very considerable. She despised the hum
Bile. and felt no need Of "a inst God Her nhilos.
ophers. while dreaming Of the immortality of
the soul were tolerant toward the iniouities
of the world Her relipIons rema;ned CHARM
ing municipal child's MAY: the idea Of nuni-
versal relieion never came tn ber The ardent
penius of the Israelites sunnled what was
wanting IN the Hellenic mind Jsraal w,s
never content IA see the world an hadIv Gov
orned under the oouernmant NJ n God who w,o
annnosad m ha ;nst Tho vice mar a, Isr..I
vaIed wroth In nra.ance of the ADVISES In
wbich tha world ahonnda had NAV div.
old. rtch and TRANQUIL. flled their bearts With
raos The nronhets beuinnino IN Tho ninth
century ha,ora cbrist Give 70 mi. TAO AZ
pronortjons Of n dogma The IsraeIita nronb-
ets. saws M. Renan. are spirited nublcists ~
the kind which we should now call Socialists
or Anarcbists Thew ara fanaticnl eaakara a.
ter social Justice. and thew proclaim aloud that
II the world IA not inst or canahla a, being
made inst II ia batter that a. sbould ha destrov-
ed: very mistaken but attn varv frp,tsnI wav
Of looking at tbjnps. for Iita nj, The dootr,nas
Of desnair. Iika Russian nihiljam In our
own days. for Instance, n nrodnca. b.ro;.r,
and n grand awaksning ~ human forooo nh.
founders of Christianity, direct continuers on
the work OF the prophets, wear themselves out
in an incessans appeal for the end OF the world.
and, strange to say, they finally transform the
world. BY jesus, by the APOSTLES. and nv tho
second Christian generation, q religion. issue
of Judaism, Is established; and three centu-
ries later this religion is imposed upon the
most important races OF humanity, and takes
tho place OF tho little patriotic toys OF tho an
cient cities. With the churches which are
merely synagogues opened to the uncircum-
cised, is born an idea of popular association
which contrasts strongly with the democracy
of the Greek towns. In word. Christianity
becomes in history an element as capital as
the liberal rationalism of the Greeks. though
tendency which inclines the nineteenth GEN.
fury to secularlze everything, to deprive MANY
things Of the ecclesiastical character which
they used to possess. is a reaction against
Christianity: but even supposing that this
is carried out to the extreme, Chris
tianity will still leave an indelible trace. Lib
eralism will bs no longer alone to govern the
world. England and America will long retain
Of biblical influence, and in France
the Socialists, unconscious pupils OF the proph-
cts. will always oblige nationalist politics to